Just Spit It Out

I was watching Laguna Beach: The Real OC the other day with my teenaged daughter. Yeah, yeah, say what you will. It's one of my guilty pleasures. I mean, what's better than watching rich, bored, spoiled kids backstab each other, make faces behind huge designer sunglasses, roll in a Mercedes Benz or Range Rover while flirting with each other, drinking coffee or eating out at a restaurant? (That's all they do on that show. Hang out at the beach. Drink coffee at what seems like the ONLY coffee place in Laguna, or have dinner at a restaurant. When do they ever go to school?)

Anyway, Rocky and Alex (hope I get his name right. They all look the same to me) are having relationship problems. Things are cooling down after...two long weeks? *snicker* They see each other at a bonfire (another yearly event for this show--they have a bonfire every season). The conversation goes something like this:

Rocky: I want to make things work. I want us to work.
Alex: Me too.
Rocky: Really? But every time we're together, it's like there's a wall.
(Get a clue, girly!)
Alex: Just looks at her. Doesn't say anything.
Rocky: Are you happy?
Alex: I am.
They stare at each other. Cut to a shot of the waves hitting the shore. Murmured conversation. More looking at each other.
Rocky: Are we done then?
Alex: Yeah. I guess.
More staring. Then they eventually separate and walk their separate ways.

Now previous to this scene, Alex tells a friend that he's over Rocky. That she's a "stage-five clinger". Upon hearing that, I--typical defender of women's pride--promptly declares him a gutless dog after watching the bonfire break-up. I mean, didn't he just tell his friend that he was over her? Then why doesn't he just tell her outright and get it over with? What's up with the "yeah, i'm happy" crap?

My seventeen year old son looks at me and rolls his eyes and laughs. Tells me to get a grip. Then my daughter tells me her best friend's ex used what must be men's universal reason out there for breaking up. It's not you. It's me. Hey, if that was me, I'd have asked, "so exactly what is it about you that's causing you to break up with me? Then let's see what he says.

Jeez, louise. Is there a book out there that's entitled 101 Stupid, Inane Reasons Men Use to Break-up With Their Girlfriends because they don't have the guts to just come right out and say I don't feel the same way anymore? Personally, I'd prefer the truth to a bs reason like "I need space right now." WTF? Space? I'll give you space. Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out, buddy.

Then there's the guy who just doesn't call anymore. ABRUPTLY. For no reason at all. Sure, a woman with half a brain would figure out right quick that things were kaput. But to a female hopelessly in love, she'll forever wonder what did I do wrong? Worse, she'll take the blame on, thinking she MUST have done something to turn off the boyfriend and drive him away.

Puh-leeze. More likely, he didn't have the guts to tell you goodbye. So he just doesn't call. Leaving you hanging and possibly needing years of therapy. What crap. Look, the truth hurts and all that stuff, but wouldn't you rather get that than some made up reason that's transparently false anyway?

My kids say I have issues. Hell yeah, I do. If I had the answer to why men do stupid things, I'd write a bestselling women's self-help book about relationships. I don't. I just think that if a guy breaks up with you using a crappy reason, then good riddance. You don't want a man who can't come right out and say what he's thinking or feeling about something as important as your relationship. Sure, men and women are different creatures. Men are not as communicative as women. But do they have to lie? Heck, no. The truth hurts, but at least there will be closure.

What about you? Have you had a ex-boyfriend who gave you a patently false, crappy reason for breaking up with you? Do you want the truth? Or some generic, made-up bit?

Reviews

I've gotten several reviews for For One Night Only and I'm so excited. Two reviewers from Just Erotic Romance Reviews both gave it 5 stars! I'm so stoked. Thanks to Julie Esparza and Ginger Boucher for the great rating. Here are some snippets of the reviews:

Julie said "Yummy and tasteful, *For One Night Only* is a feast of sexual energy." She goes on to add, "I was expecting several chapters...When you write sex as well as Ms. Havlir does, you don't want it limited."

LOL! I will take that as a compliment. I write great sex, folks! Hey, sex is one of the things that makes the world go round, you know. Deny it all you want, but I firmly believe that.

Finally, Julie ends with, "In the end, it is the intensity of Lily and Michael's relationship, which is beautifully written that makes this story so enjoyable to read. Don't miss this story because *For One Night Only* will keep you warm on a cold night."

The other reviewer, Ginger, writes "The story line in this book grabbed me (and BDSM is not normally my cup of tea at all). *For One Night Only* is well written and cleanly edited." She goes on to add "The sex is amazingly hot, with descriptions that made me wonder why I hadn't ventured into the genre earlier. The Dom/sub relationship in the bedroom was cooperative, without force or reluctance. It was fully pleasurable for Lily and Michael... and for me."

Ginger ends with "Several secondary characters intrigued me. I hope Ms. Havlir will continue to develop them and, in time, tell the stories of Lily's friends. Anton's story cries out to be told."

If any of you out there wants to sign up to receive the JERR newsletter, you can sign up here. It's a great newsletter. They feature author interviews, website reviews and book reviews.

As for Anton, well, let me just say that I'm currently working on his story right now. I can't tell you much more than the fact that this is shaping up to be another hot one. I'll be posting a blurb as soon as I have one.

You can also sign up here to join my yahoo group bev_havlir_readers and you'll automatically receive my monthly newsletter Sex and the Modern Woman--I post early excerpts and news about my current works in progress there. Once you're signed up, you're eligible to join my monthly ebook or print book giveaway, as well as other fun stuff. It's a win-win proposition, guys!

If you've read For One Night Only, drop me a note. I'd love to know what you think!

A Baseball Hottie

One thing I'm not is a football fan. To me, the only redeeming factor for football? Those tight-ass uniforms. Other than that, can't stand the sport even if my son played it. Too violent for me. Since my beloved Red Sox had an early end to their season (better luck next year, guys!), I've taken to watching other baseball games. By the way, all you Red Sox haters out there--don't bother emailing me. I love my Red Sox. *g*

Yes, I admit. I'm a baseball freak. I'm on the fence about October. I'm sad that it signals the end of baseball season, yet happy that it's the playoffs and then the World Series. I watched the LA Dodgers get killed by the Mets. Though I'm not a Dodger fan, I rooted for them just because they're the hometown team. But while watching the Dodgers-Mets playoffs, I discovered David Wright.

He's hot. And no, my husband won't kill me. He knows it's harmless. I just like looking at hot guys. Who doesn't? If you tell me you don't, then you're a big, fat liar. *g*

Back to David Wright. This guy is seriously hot. Studly. I watched him the whole time. Double plays? What double plays? Who struck out and who hit a home run? Don't know. Don't care. I couldn't take my eyes off David Wright, New York Mets third baseman.


This pic doesn't really do him justice. But he's cute, isn't he?


He's the one on the right. Slightly better picture of him here. Hey, is that guy in the middle grabbing his crotch? Eew.


Another pic. Still looks cute to me.











Now I wish I can find a better photo of him. I'll be scouring the internet so I could post it here. But do you guys agree with me? He's hot. Too bad the Mets didn't make it to the World Series. By the way, I'm taking the Tigers over the Cardinals. Hope they don't let me down.

They're Starting To Come In

Today, since I couldn't write anything worth a damn (cold medication does that to me--makes me groggy and woozy) I decided to surf the net, just to see if there are any early reviews of For One Night Only.

I found one!

It's from a BDSM review site. If you want to read the review, you can find it here.

The reviewer scored For One Night Only 3 out of 5. Hey, I'll take it. Overall, the review was positive. First, the reviewer pointed out what she liked about the story then what she didn't like. Fair enough. All valid points. I still think it was a generally good review. Thanks, Elise.

For One Night Only got a BDSM rating (or genre) from Ellora's Cave. Since I don't want to spoil it for those of you yet to read it, I'm not going to go into detail. I had a lot of fun writing Lily and Michael's story. I actually bought a couple of BDSM how-to books, which raised a couple of eyebrows in my house, but of course I chalked it up to research. Hey, don't smirk. It's true. *wink*

A dom/sub relationship has too many intricacies to adequately portray in a category length book. I tried, though. I asked a well-known bdsm author for some pointers regarding a dom/sub relationship, and she told me there are no set rules. So I ran with it. If you guys liked For One Night Only, then I will have done my job. I'm thinking of writing a sort of sequel to the story, featuring Anton. This time I'll probably write a longer, more comprehensive peek into the lifestyle, but first...I'd have to do a lot more research. *g*

Since I've discovered that my readers are not shy about letting me know what they think, I invite all of you to drop me a note. You can post it here or email it me directly.

Now I'm off to lie down and nurse this stupid cold. I hate being sick. Hate, hate, hate. The only upside? I get to tackle a couple of books from my tbr list. There's nothing like being forced to snuggle under the covers with a sexy book. LOL.

A Glimpse Into My Life

This week my husband and I will celebrate our 18th wedding anniversay. Yup. Eighteen years, folks. My husband and I were just kids when we met, fell in love and had two beautiful babies in a row. In honor of that, I will push aside my habitual shyness and post some personal pictures. (like it or not...LOL!)




That's us approximately ten years ago. He took me to Morton's that night, just like he does every year for our anniversary. We feast on prime rib, lobster and delicious wine while we marvel at the years gone by.



San Francisco, July 2000. That was nice!




That's us now. We've aged and gained weight (yikes! big difference, huh?) over the years, but nothing much has changed between us. He's still my best friend. He can tell when something's bothering me, even if I don't say anything. He can finish my sentences, which is downright scary sometimes, but that's how well he knows me. He knows I write hot romances, has never read my work (just snippets), but he's always a willing test subject and excellent source of male perspective. He's a laid back alpha (yes, there is such a thing). He lets me have my way (most of the time) and is generally a push over when it comes to his kids. He's an excellent provider. He gave me a beautiful house and an awesome car. Most of all, he gave me two beautiful children, of whom we couldn't be more proud. We're getting ready to send one off to college next year. Soon after that, it'll be my daughter's turn.

Life with him isn't all hunky-dory. He drives like a maniac on the freeway (proof: he recently got clocked at 98 mph by the Highway Patrol. Needless to say, that ticket was EXPENSIVE). He prefers movies with car chase scenes, shootouts and explosions. Puts too much butter in the popcorn *shudder* and loves to scarf down hot links. And he loves to go to the shooting range. Me? I abhor guns.

But you know what keeps us going? We compromise. For my birthday years ago, he took me to see My Best Friend's Wedding...and he stayed awake the entire time. *g* In return, I watch the kind of movies he likes, which I admit, sometimes I like, too. (Case in point: The Departed. Great movie)

It's hasn't been smooth sailing the whole time, but we've managed to stay together. It means not giving up, working through problems and always counting our blessings. One day at a time.

So to my husband and best friend, Happy Anniversary. You'll always be the one for me.

A Little pre-Halloween humor

I borrowed this (shamelessly) from a loop I belong to. Don't worry, it's not like its copyrighted or anything like that. It's funny, though. *g*

An old couple who hadn't
celebrated Halloween in a long time
decided to dress up and go out.

The old woman went into her bedroom, stripped
naked and tied a lemon between her legs.

When she came out, the old man cried, "You can't
go out like that!"

She said, "I can go anyway I like and so can
you."

Whereupon he retired to the bedroom and came out
stark raving naked with a potato tied to his tallywhacker.

The old woman says, you're going out like that?"
and he replies,

"Yep, if you can go as a sour-puss, I can go as a
dick-tator."

*wink*

Sexy and Hot

Here's a hot excerpt from For One Night Only:

Lily stood still, waiting with bated breath, anxiously anticipating what he was going to do next. She tensed when a black cloth came over her eyes.
“Do you have fantasies, Lily?”
Darkness engulfed her. “Y-yes.”
“Tell me about them.”
Oh God. “T-they’re just fantasies, like anybody else’s.”
“You have to learn never to question, hesitate or disagree with me.” His tone was low, but his displeasure was clear. “All or nothing. Otherwise we stop this right here, right now.” He stepped away from her.
Lily instantly missed the warmth of his body. “No! I-I don’t want to stop.”
There was a moment of silence. Then his breath feathered over her too-hot skin. “I’m waiting.”
Mercy. He was asking her to lay herself bare, to divulge her innermost thoughts—and he starred in all of them.
“Are they fantasies of you and me together?”
She bit her lip and nodded.
“Even better. Go on.”
The blindfold somehow gave her courage. “I’m working late,” she began softly. “E-everybody else has gone home. The office is deserted. Quiet.”
“Yes?” He ran the whip over her belly and around her hips, pressing just enough to make her shiver in reaction.
This particular fantasy was her favorite, one that sustained her through long, lonely nights. As always, the familiar scenario began to work its magic on her. “I’m leaning over my desk when you come up behind me.”
Michael moved closer. “Like this?”
Lily wet her lips. “You order me to stay still and not to turn around. You put your hand under my skirt and slide it up my leg.” She jumped when a hot, dry palm landed on her thigh. “T-then you touch me…”
Strong fingers fluttered over her skin. “Here?”
“No,” she whispered, trembling. “Higher.”
“Here?”
“No,” she moaned.
“Tell me exactly where I touch you.”

© Beverly Havlir

Did you like that? *g* For One Night Only is available this Wednesday, October 18 at www.ellorascave.com.

A Positive Spin

The two Ja(y)nes from Dear Author
reviewed Bodyguard. You can find the review here.

In my opinion, it really wasn't as scathing as much as it was honest. So it rankled a little. Okay, maybe it rankled a lot. *g* I'm only human. You all know an author's book is born from blood, sweat and tears. Ergo, a bad review hits home hard. Yadda, yadda, blah, blah. I won't belabor that point. We've all been there, done that.

However, I'm not one to fire back a nasty note or email to the reviewer and contest whatever was found objectionable or lacking in the story. I've always accepted the good and the bad. Comes with the territory, trust me. If I let a bad review get me down, I'll never get up. *g*

I sat down with my dinner and read the review over. I thought of my story, and what I could have done better. I've only been writing for a few years, folks. I have a lot of learning (still) to do, not that it's an excuse. But I did establish the fact that Paige was sexually repressed and that at the time of witnessing the murder, had already decided to make some very important changes in her life. Okay, so maybe it wasn't plausible that Paige thought the killer wouldn't come after her (Jayne thought she was an idiot for thinking that). But Paige was a really late bloomer, having finished college at 16 and then had gone on to study medicine. She didn't experience the whole teenage hot and heavy sexual phase, the parties, the dating, the sexual experimenting. Maybe I didn't establish that fact about Paige as well as I thought. My Mom would probably shake her head and say I haven't learned a damn thing from her.

You see, my dear Mom used to be a screenwriter. As a young girl, I used to read over her shoulder as she wrote her soap opera screenplay because I just couldn't stand not knowing what happened next to her characters. My point is, early on in life, I've learned to establish, establish, establish. To set up, to begin, to be let known. This was one of my Mom's cardinal rules of characterization. Establish something about the main character so that when an action is done, it won't seem to be strange, weird, or worse, out of character.

Looking back, maybe I wasn't clear enough in establishing Paige's character. Maybe it wasn't realistic of me to think that a person would react that way after witnessing a murder. Maybe my mindset is not as common as I'd thought. I'm forever on a learning curve, folks. We all learn something new every day. Having said that, I'm proud of having written Bodyguard, a book that (most) people liked and sold fairly well.

Reviews are subjective. It's a person's opinion of the story. I respect Jayne's opionion about Bodyguard. I only hope that she won't write me off and swear never to come near any of my books again. *g* My only regret? I wish Jayne would have given Bodyguard a chance and read it to the end. Maybe she still would have hated it. Then again, maybe not. Still, thanks for the review, Jayne.

And really, Jayne's comments weren't all negative. She did say she enjoyed my writing style and that I conveyed emotion and tension well (again--thanks, Mom!).

By the way, I've been thinking. Which is better? DNF review or F review? Food for thought--for me. For my sake, I prefer to think DNF is better. LOL. Makes me feel better.

Imperfect? No thanks!

I read Eve Vaughn's post over on Sexual Chocolate Authors blog about imperfect heroes. She asks why we never seem to have (physically) imperfect men in romance novels. Good question. Why don't we?

Before we get too deep into this, let me just say that IMO romance is essentially a fantasy. I've said this before. It's fantasy grounded in reality. Certainly, not all the men in the world today have sculpted bods, washboard abs you can toss a quarter off of, or really tight asses that look awesome in jeans. Not all men look good in whatever they wear, who can strut around in leather jacket and pants without looking like a freakin' biker (no offense to the biker-lovers out there) or wear a suit and tie without looking like a stuffy IRS accountant.

We all have our own ideas of our ideal man. The perfect hero. And woman seem to want to see that perfection in romance books. But a story with an imperfect hero is not impossible. Just not common.

I've read books where the hero is physically handicapped. When handled right, it's a great plot. I read one years ago (can't for the life of me remember the title or author)about a hero who gets into an accident and is crippled for life. It struck me deeply how the author portrayed the hero's bitterness and anguish and how he lashed out at the heroine at first. She bore the brunt of his anger with dignity and refused to back down. It was, quite simply, a deep and abiding love. I empathized with the characters. So much so that I actually teared up. See? It can be done. An imperfect hero can exist between the pages of a romance novel. Just depends on the plot and how it's handled. It was beautifully written. I loved it.

I also read a book about a viscount, or marquis or something, who was a great boozer and let his body go. By the end of the book, he was fit and healthy. And hot. It seemed too easy but hey, there you go.Take from that what you will.

Other romance books highlight other imperfections, like character flaws. A hero can be arrogant, selfish, obnoxious (not too much, though), ultra-alpha (if you consider that an imperfection *g*), has slept around with too many women (again, if that's an imperfection), afraid to commit, etc., etc. Then during the course of the story, the hero evolves into a better person. Somebody who realizes the folly of being selfish, or somebody who is humbled along the way. The denouement, so to speak. Then comes the happy ever after.

So why don't we have more physically imperfect heroes in romance novels? Maybe emotional imperfections or character flaws are more readily acceptable than physical ones. I don't really know the answer. Something to chew on, that's for sure.

Older women and younger men

I'm thinking of writing a May-December romance about an older woman and a younger man. But I'm stumped. Really, what constitutes an older woman? To me, if the age difference is, say, five or six years, that doesn't really make the woman that much older, right? I'd have to say at least ten years age difference. But...I've never written about a hero that's around twenty four, twenty five years old--see picture to envision him *g* (because I'd like the woman in her thirties--don't ask me why).

But what about a woman in her forties?

I know, I know. I'm making it needlessly difficult. I'm just not sure how readers will react to a fortyish heroine. I've asked a couple of readers about that and they were okay with it. But then they were rabid romance addicts who'll devour any books of any genre, as long as it romance. LOL. Gotta love them, though.

Seriously, will a story about a fortyish woman in love with a younger man sell? Hmmm...

Irresistible revisited

I've gotten a bunch of reader emails about my story Irresistible. Most were positive, but some were downright demanding. Why did I write such a story? Don't I know that romance is essentially about fantasy? That nothing should mar the rosy glow that surrounds the lovers? No hint of mistrust or infidelity? It's just not romantic.

I had to smile. First of all, I was pleased that at least I'd gotten some reactions. I got readers to actually talk to me and tell me what they think. None of them held back, trust me. LOL. Second, the emails usually ended with "But you really made the story work. In the end, I wanted Gavin and Maddie to get back together." Gotcha.

Okay, I have to admit that the blurb wasn't the best I've ever written in the entire world. I didn't think about it well enough to make it universally appealing. At first, I thought, why should I not put the fact that Maddie thought Gavin had cheated on her? Personally, I've never liked a book that turned out to be different from the blurb in the back. Sure, a blurb could entice me into buying a book not kowing what's inside the pages. once. After that, I'd be really leery of buying that author again. I don't care if I have to practically read the book in the bookstore, I'm not buying it until I know the blurb is dead on. It's that fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me kind of thing.

To borrow one of Karen's classic, witty expressions--my blurb sucked great big hairy donkey balls. No sense sugarcoating it. It's not that it was god awful. It just wasn't enticing enough. I admit, I needed to make it better. Hindsight is always 20/20, right? Other than that, most of the reviews for Irresistible has been positive. It was even nominated for Ecataromance's Reviewer's Choice Award. Pretty nice, huh?

I've been published since 2004. Compared to others, I'm a baby. And no, I'm not using that as an excuse. I'm only saying that I still have a lot to learn. Irresistible was certainly a learning experience. A good one, I might add.

This was a story I had to write. As a married woman, I've often wondered what it would be like to experience your man cheating on you, straying from the fold, so to speak. Personally, I've always told my husband don't bother cheating on me. Just tell me. That way, we can minimize the bloodshed. LOL. I'm realistic enough to know that it can and does happen to the best of us. Thankfully, he still declares he loves me everyday and adds a kiss to boot. *g*

Romance is indeed fantasy. I've been reading romances since I was around twelve or thirteen. But I contend that fantasy should be grounded in reality. I mean, how many stories of dashing Princes getting together with ordinary women can you write? That kind of thing just doesn't happen everyday. Most stories I read nowadays feature women who are take charge, career driven, sexually experienced. Now that's reality, right? The world evolves, so should we.

In the end, I thank everyone who wrote me and expressed their thoughts and rather forceful opinion of Irresistible. *g* Thanks so much. I welcome good and bad comments. Praise and scathing criticism alike. I'm of the mind that if I've gotten people to think and to sit down in front of a computer and take the time to send me an email, then it's all good. I did my job.

Can't Quite Make Up My Mind

Now that tv's new fall season is here, I'm SO glad for DVR. There are so many shows I want to watch and most of the time, they're up against each other! Honestly, can't they bump the low rated shows and just fill the schedule with the good ones? I end up recording others and have to settle for watching it later. Like CSI up against Grey's Anatomy. Now I'm a Grey's Anatomy fan, but how can I miss CSI? So Grey's usually ends up in the recorder, to be viewed later. What's bad about that? Sometimes I hear about notable scenes between Meredith and McDreamy before I see it. Kinda takes away the thrill of it, you know?

Of course, there are the old favorites. I've already mentioned two above (CSI and Grey's). There's Supernatural. I'm totally hooked. Love Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. I used to think Jensen was on the short side until he said in an interview that he's actually six feet tall! It's just that Jared is six-five or six-six. Soo tall. I like Jensen more, though. There's something about him...LOL. Then there's Gilmore Girls. I've always liked that.

In my opinion, one of the better shows this season is Heroes. It's about a bunch of people who discover they have superpowers. It's very interesting and thought provoking. I especially like the single Mom (played by Ali Larter) who seems to have some sort of alter-ego who has the guts to do the things she won't. Like kill people. Bad people, though. *g* Then there's the cheerleader who doesn't get hurt, won't die, yadda yadda. And the brothers who can fly. So cool. Of course they're all going to meet up sooner or later and then we'll find out what their purpose is. But it's a great show. I like it a lot.

There's also The Nine. It's about a bank robbery and the nine people who were caught up in it. Seems interesting. I'd have to watch the first episode to see. I've also started watching Smith, with Ray Liotta. I'm reserving judgment on this one. Can't quite make up my mind whether it's a keeper or not. *g*

HBO always has good shows. Notables? Sopranos, of course. Too bad they only have so many episodes left. I also like Rome. Can't wait for their new season. I've heard good stuff about Big Love--just can't get around a man who has more than one wife, so I can't get into that one. *g* My latest passion is Entourage. Funny and crazy, yet I can't help but cheer for Vince, E, Turtle and of course, Drama. Love Ari. He's the quintessential Hollywood agent. Shallow, greedy, rude and unbelievably funny. Breakaway character? Lloyd, Ari's assistant. He cracks me up.

As for reality shows, I'm SO over Bachelor. I watched it the first couple of seasons, then it quickly got old. Now they have a prince something-or-other who's on it. Blah. No interest. Same thing for Survivor. So over it. The only reality show I'm still watching is Amazing Race. Fascinating and never boring. Love it.

So there you have it. So many shows, so little time. I'd be interested to know if there are others out there who like the same shows I do.